How The Game Is Played
by JLii
Summary: Ah, Miroku. That sad, sad, little perverted monk - that we all know and love! The crucial wisdom he offers often comes in the most poignant time of necessity. Yet, there are still some lessons that our dear monk needs to learn; such as 'How The Game Is Played'. Enjoy.


_**Author's Note: **I decided to do a simple one-shot. I love all the characters of Inuyasha and how the chemistry of the entire cast is conducted. Don't you? ^-^_

_Miroku, of course, has such a dynamic character that I couldn't resist writing something with him._

_Please, enjoy!_

* * *

'Inuyasha' - the manga, the series, and the movies,as well as 'Inuyasha the Final Act' series  
belong solely to Rumiko Takahashi and affiliated organizations inlcuding but not limited to:

Shonen Sunday, Shogakukan, Viz Media, Sunrise Incorporated, and Yomiuri Television.  
I write and publish all content under the authority of fanfiction(.net),  
and hold no responsibility to any supposed infringement within this network.

Now that we have reached an understanding on that... 'the show must go on!'

No pun intended... unless it is Takahashi-sama reading this - then I'm totally serious =.=

I jest!^-^ Moving on.

* * *

"You do realize that this is all your fault, don't you Miroku?"

The monk sighed.

"If you wouldn't be a sore loser, then I wouldn't be getting dirty, groping around in the dark right now." (A/N: Don't leave! It's not what you think, keep reading.) Speaking of dark, she wondered where the others were. The sun had been set for awhile now and they hadn't shown back up yet.

"Yes, yes. I apologize once again." the monk replied, a bit dryly. "Do you see it under there, anywhere?"

"Just a second. Here. Hold the flashlight, please?" Kagome replied from her place in the dirt.

Miroku, setting down the shakujou(-his staff) he was currently using as a crutch in his kneeling position, accepted the flashlight from the girl before him.

Here she was - scrounging around for a little card in the dark, and the dust, and innumerable cobwebs. She just hoped that was the _worst_ of what she would encounter under here... All of this, because a certain monk she knew just didn't know how to learn a game by taking a loss (or two, or three, or…).

"You know, I'm not sure why you aren't the one under here, but I suppose it's too late now." Kagome reached back to hand the flashlight to Miroku. The monk took it from her and cast the beam beyond her, allowing her to see and still use both hands to search.

Now perhaps she should've learned her lesson from Trump cards* (playing cards) before, but Kagome had gotten the _crazy_ idea that it _might possibly_ be fun to teach the group a new game. That said, she'd brought the pack of cards back with her. Who knows, maybe it was a good idea? None the less...

Naturally, being the intelligent gentleman that he sometimes even acts like, Miroku became curious. So, she decided to give him a head-start on how to play, whilst waiting on the others to return to the abandoned hut that made their dwelling this evening.

Although the little run down dwelling would do for the night, Kagome would be glad to leave in the morning. Many times they had all been grateful that any shelter could be found whatsoever. It wouldn't be the first time the group had taken lodge in a shack such as this to escape the harsher side of nature and the night.

This dwelling was like many seen before. A veil of dust settled upon everything. Large gaps ladled the floorboards of the hut, whilst the earthen floor making the entrance that would normally be beaten to unforgiving solidity, was all but washed away with dips, slants, and holes. The most important of the structure, however, the beams of support as well as the roof, were adequately intact - give or take a few slits revealing sheaves of the grass roofing. Not a bad place for just _one_ overnight stay.

Therefore, the evening ahead with this fresh entertainment could be something worthy of antocipation.

That was all well and good— until a certain 'sore-loser' monk got a little too frustrated at the deal he was handed (moreover, the way the game was playing out for him - or rather, _wasn't_ playing out for him), and when his stash of cards (Yes, the monk was stashing cards.) got too nummerous for the sleeve of his robe to handle and still go unnotices, they haphazardly scattered out - some through gaps in the floorboards... in the_ middle _of the floor_.__  
_

This portion, a true accident, but that didn't help things right now.

Inuyasha had gone to scrounge up dinner awhile ago, and Sango went to retrieve Shippo, who was last seen playing with Kirara by the river, a short half-mile away. Since there were no villages nearby, the slayer had wanted to retrieve them before sunset – which was about twenty minutes ago. None had yet return.

"Yes, I got them! Four, right?" mentally adding the four cards found, and the 48 already accounted for; Kagome sighed in relief.

"Yeah, sure. That's…uh..great!" Miroku said, in a more-than-a-bit distracted manner as his gaze traveled…elsewhere…on Kagome's physique. There before this holy man was the young companion, on her hands and knees, facing hence, under the flooring of the hut, looking for the game-piece that _he_ lost.

Well, if you couldn't guess what he was distracted with, than you are more dense than Inuyasha occasions to be. Though, I mean you no offense, honestly.

Not caring for the tone with which he said his last statement, or the chuckle that followed; she neither took liking that the flashlight swiveled elsewhere. Considering these things, Kagome decided - as though there were any reason to linger anyway - to waste no time in backing out of the musty, filthy space and brush off - her recovered prize now in hand.

Miroku might've been thinking along the same lines (in another universe, perhaps) because he prematurely deemed it a good idea to 'help' her brush off.

-Beginning with her hind end…the kind of help she _doesn't_ need.

Kagome gasped and instinctively went to shoot herself upright—slamming her head on the floorboards above in the process.

"Ow! You pervert, just wait until I get out from under here!" she spat out with a grimace that was obviously lost to him as he could not see her face.

_Fortunately for him_, he wisely chose this time to scoot back with a nervous laugh, preparing to excuse himself of any wrongdoing with exactly that – an excuse.

_**Un**fortunately for him_, he chose this time to back up—and did so,

-Right into Inuyasha.

-Who stood in front of a taijiya with a kitsune in her arms.

-Both furious.

You can imagine why—at just what scenario greeted them upon entering.

"Mind using your last words to explain just what the hell is going on in here, monk?" a very gruff, rather malicious sounding hanyou growled from right above his head.

Miroku sweat-dropped.

A filthy, pissed off schoolgirl being groped by a certain pervert (that they all know and love), isn't exactly the welcoming committee that they would expect, even from Miroku, nor one they would appreciate… _most_ _especially_ not Inuyasha.

"Uh..hum." he cleared his throat and put on his best holy-man voice. "I've no problem explaining—"

"Allow me." Kagome interceded. "But first…" the victimized schoolgirl paused, glaring sinisterly at Miroku, " His staff, if you please, Inuyasha." She said sweetly, smiling that incredibly eerie, fake smile the schoolgirl had perfected.

"Keh." (You know who said that, don't you?), Inuyasha quickly obliged.

Miroku felt his shakujou swiftly glide right through his fingertips—much like grains of sand through the hourglass of his now shortened lifespan.

His holy staff was about to be used in a very unholy manner, in his opinion.

Well, 'Justice be done!' as Miroku might himself say. A short few minutes later— though he could no longer keep track of much anything, was a change of scene.

All these companions now sat peaceably before a blazing fire; dining and learning to play a new game.

All but one…you can guess which one - that, call it an 'early night', was in an '_induced'_ sleep a few meters away.

"I win!" cried out the cute little fox we call Shippo.

Yeah…that monk needs to learn a _few_ lessons, it would seem.

_**~Owari~**_

* * *

* Reference: _'Inuyasha' episode #73 (Season 3), 'Shiori's Family, and Inuyasha's Feelings'_

_By the way, if you've ever wondered, I'm pretty certain the game they play in that episode is 'Old Maid'. _

_Miroku lost, making him the 'old maid', Keh-heh! *Evil grin*  
_

**Author's Note:** I hope you enjoyed this fiction piece!

Okay, who thought it was Sango at first? Come on, be honest! Haha, well letting me know would be helpful - truly. It'd help me improve, especially if I failed any insinuation that I attempted.

I noticed that Miroku and Kagome are too rarely placed in any fiction scenes for any length of time. When they are, it is usually romance, not friendship. Inspired at the lack (odd way to put that), I chose to write up a little morsel to rectify that fact somewhat, and hope I succeeded.

Thank you for reading my work! I value your time and would appreciate any review you might give! ^-^

_Alias~True._


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